Maureen assisted Gale with the repair work. There was a lot of heavy lifting and pulling trying to line things up but we were able to get it done without a hitch. Gale even had time to do a little fishing afterwards.
The test run on Thursday morning went just as we hoped it would. Everything sounded good, looked good and felt right. We were quite confident that the repair was a success. We’ll know for sure when we finally take off and leave Demopolis.
Roger had asked Gale to give him a lesson on fishing for bass. He was unfamiliar with freshwater fishing and was interested in learning about the gear needed and the different techniques to be used. Gale took Roger to his “honey hole” and they found the bass. That evening, Gale cut up the fish in small pieces and grilled hors d’oeuvres at “The Wall” for everyone that was gathered there. The fish was served with the rye bread that Roger had made the previous day and actually made for a nice dinner for most of us.
Friday morning we were up early and the guys (Gale and Roger) were out fishing by 7 am. They returned a few hours later with two keepers. After lunch, they did a little more fishing and picked up another nice one.
When we walked up to the showers late in the afternoon, a few of the folks were already gathered at The Wall for happy hour. Mike, m/v Dual Dreams, had been inspired to write a poem about “Fred’s Triangle.” Fred runs the Demopolis Yacht Basin and there is an ongoing joke that cruisers come to stay for a night, a week, or a month but end up never leaving. Here is Mike’s poem. Just insert the appropriate boat name:
BACK IN A SLIP AND ALL TIED DOWN
LOOKS LIKE BLUE HERON’S GONNA STICK AROUND
STUCK IN FRED’S TRIANGLE CANNOT LEAVE
OH!! THE HORROR – IT MAKES ME GRIEVE
THEY REALLY THOUGHT THEY COULD GO ON DOWN
DOWN TO THE GULF TO PLAY AROUND
ONE MORE TIME DOWN COMES THE DEMO HAMMER
NOW BLUE HERON IS STUCK IN ALABAMER
Thanks, Mike! You gotta laugh, right?
That evening we were invited over to Roger and Dita’s boat, s/vZephyr. We enjoyed a few drinks, cheese, olives, crackers and a special dish Dita made called “ceviche.” Ceviche (also spelled cebiche or seviche) is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt and pepper may also be added. As the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh to avoid the potential for food poisoning.
Saturday morning we took on a few small projects around the boat and felt pretty good about what we accomplished. Just before the noon hour, we walked uptown and checked out some of the old historical buildings. One of those buildings housed the theatre and the Marengo Café’. We stopped in and found a quaint little café with a few tables and nice menu. Maureen ordered a small pasta salad and Gale tried the chili with a lettuce salad side. The food was very fresh and our unplanned luncheon was delightful. 
Saturday afternoon, was quite relaxing even as we continued with our little boat projects. Roger stopped by and asked Gale if he could hoist him up the mast so he could change out the anchor light on the top of the mast with an LED bulb. Roger had a bosun’s chair so Gale winched him up on one line while Maureen tended the safety line. At The Wall that evening, our friends Robby and Brenda, m/v Crazzy Nuff, from Mobile, provided Cajun cornbread and beans for everyone to enjoy. It was spicy and tasty!
Sunday was spent doing all the last minute things we do as we prepare to cruise; i.e., laundry, blog work, errands, etc. We ran to the grocery store but because it was Sunday, they wouldn’t sell us any wine or beer. It looked like we would be making another run early tomorrow morning. At least, the store will open at 6 am. Tonight’s happy hour at The Wall included hors d’oeuvres made by three of the ladies: Harriet, Dita and Joy. Joy made a sausage, and egg quiche; Harriet cooked up a chicken and avocado dip baked in a small loaf of bread, and Dita’s contribution was jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon. There was also cheese, crackers and fruit and everything was delicious. Our original plan had been to go out to a Mexican restaurant with Roger and Dita for our last night at the marina, but with all the food provided, everyone agreed that we’d already had enough to eat. Roger and Dita invited us over to Zephyr for another cocktail and we laughed and visited for awhile before going home for the night.
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